NEW BEDFORD — After spending eight years in the minor leagues, Kyle Fernandes is giving back.

Fernandes, a 12th-round draft pick of the Boston Red Sox in 2005, is in his first season as pitching coach of the New Bedford Bay Sox, guiding college players through their summer baseball stint in the New England Collegiate Baseball League.

“It’s been fun,” said Fernandes, a 2003 graduate of Westport High School. “I have basically two rules for these guys. One, work hard. Two, respect me. If you don’t do No. 2, it will be a miserable year. They know they can talk and joke with me and that I am an easygoing guy, but they know they are here to work.”

Fernandes knows all about working hard and struggling to climb the baseball ladder as a prospect in the Red Sox organization. He was drafted the same year as Jacoby Ellsbury and Clay Buchholz.

A southpaw, Fernandes not only battled opposing professional hitters during his pro career, but he also battled the mental game as his coaches continously tinkered with his delivery.

“They changed my arm slot in 2006 from low three-quarters to over the top,” Fernandes said. “Their reasoning was I’d have a better angle, better velocity and I’d be able to produce more ground balls.

“At that point, I was a yes man so I worked on it, but my velocity fell four to five miles per hour and my control completely went to hell.”

Fernandes struggled to become comfortable with his delivery and the mental part of the game.

“In 2007, I was brutal,” he said. “I was so messed up mentally that I remember in one game I wasn’t even sure how to grip my four-seam fastball.”

As his career progressed, Fernandes regrouped and put his priorities in order.

“I spoke to my brother and my mother and father and they convinced me to finish the year,” he said. “Some guys put their name on their glove, but I had “family first” on my glove. Everything had always been baseball, baseball, baseball to me, but I started to realize there were so many more important things.”

Fernandes has brought his experience to the Bay Sox and has had a successful debut as pitching coach.

“Kyle has been fantastic,” said Mike Friar, the Bay Sox director of baseball operations. “We came in thinking our hitting would be well ahead of our pitching, but Kyle has helped us turn that around.

“He’s been successful despite losing our top two pitchers and having our third go down after pitching one game.”

The Bay Sox came into Sunday with just four wins, but pitching hasn’t been the biggest issue.

“We’ve had our struggles, but these guys are here to showcase their talents,” Fernandes said. “There was a point this year where we averaged more errors than hits. These guys have made great strides.”

Spencer Hermann, a lefty out of Fisher College, was just signed by the Seattle Mariners and Fernandes knows what he will be dealing with.

“I told him to be ready because it’s a job now,” he said. “I told him to enjoy it, but it’s a completely different animal.”